We Met on the Subway
by Blu Rose
Summary: They met in Nimbasa on the Battle Subway, opponents and complete strangers. Who knew that sparks would fly from the moment they touched?
1. Chapter 1

**First off: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? A fan fiction promoting AshxHilda/Touko? What nonsense is this? Well, this nonsense is here to add some variety to all the PokéShippings and PearlShippings and AdvanceShippings out there. It's crack fics that make fandoms as large as Pokémon fun!**

**(Joking aside) This nonsense is Blu Rose's first attempt at Othelloshipping. What is Othelloshipping? That's the unofficial name for the AshxHilda shipping, decided on a Pokémon forum (Serebii, methinks) when fans initially assumed that Hilda would be a traveling companion for Ash in the BW series. Hilda being the playable female character of Black/White, they assumed she would be one of Ash's buds because she'd be like Dawn and May before her. Unfortunately, they wanted to make everything like Gen 1 again, so they made Iris the female buddy. (But it's probably for the best, anyway…seeing as how everyone either hates her because they thought she'd be another contest coordinator or, oddly enough, her _name alone_…)**

**Othello refers to two things considering Black and White—a game with white and black pieces also called Reversi and a play by William Shakespeare about Black and White. (Personally, I think they should've gone with Capshipping or one of those coffee-named things.)**

**Anyhoo, there are very few Othello fics on this site—and by few, I mean one—so in order to promote the ship, I decided to take time off from my current Poké project for this lil' three-shot. Even if you don't like this fic, I hope you'll be intrigued by Othelloshipping!**

**(I _really_ hope we can get another name to call this by…)**

_Summary: They met in Nimbasa on the Battle Subway, opponents and complete strangers. Who knew that sparks would fly from the moment they touched?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, Ash would be older than 10 in the anime and Hilda would be there!_

**Warning: Ash is chronologically 15 in this fic. I know they say he's 10 in Best Wishes—but it seems so off the time loop!**

**X-X-X**

_~We Met On the Subway~_

Hilda sighed as she crossed her legs, tapping the foot on the steel floor impatiently. She was still in Nimbasa, even though she had won the badge for its Gym already, on account of a problem. The bridge to Driftveil, the location of the next Gym, was down. What for, she didn't know, but the police told her it had to do with some trouble with wanted criminals or something—Team Racquet or Plasmid or whatever…

She could've gone around and used the other bridge to the east, but that would throw her off schedule, and she didn't like the the idea of going around all the way and skipping three other cities with gyms just to stay on track in her gym dominating. No, she would be patient and wait for the bridge to be fixed. She got bored of the amusement park quickly, so she decided to have some fights on the Battle Subway. It gave her an adrenaline rush and it allowed her Pokémon to exercise after doing nothing but eating sweets at the amusement park. Sadly though, it was the first time she sat at the front of the train and not in the very back, so she'd have to wait for whoever would come through the door.

Hilda stopped taping her foot at the sound of the metal doors opening. "Ah, about time! I was so _bored_!" She complained, standing on her feet and looking at her opponent.

In looks, he reminded her of her brother Black—real name Hilbert, but he always used his middle name instead of his real one. They both had boyish faces, confident smiles, bright brown eyes burning with determination…and even wore a jacket and hat just like her brother. The only difference was that his skin was tan, his hair was black and his cheeks had little lightning bolt-like marks on them that made him look kiddy and…cute.

The next thing she noticed was the Pokémon on his shoulder. Bright yellow with red cheeks and black-tipped ears. Something you couldn't see in Unova unless it was on a TV screen or in a book. A Pikachu. So either he wasn't from Unova or he traded for a foreign Pokémon using the Trade Center. Either way, it'd shake things up to see a foreign Pokémon.

"Alright! After this match, we'll be able to fight the Subway Master! I'm feeling psyched!" The boy exclaimed.

"Pi-ka!"

"Unfortunately, _I'm_ the one who's going to challenge him, so…sorry!" The girl said with a steely glint in her eye.

"We'll see about that!" He said with a smile as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Go—!"

"Wait! Don't you even have any manners? We're supposed to introduce ourselves first! Common courtesy, please?" Hilda shouted as she grabbed hold of one of the handles hanging from the ceiling. She adjusted her cap with one hand and grinned. "The name's Hilda from Nuvema Town. My team'll knock you off your feet!"

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I'm gonna win this!"

"I'd like to see _that_ happen! Get 'em, Popo!"

"Go, Tranquill!"

They both threw their Poké Balls at the same time, releasing their chosen Pokémon in a flash of light. On Ash's side was a Tranquill, while on Hilda's was a Simipour.

"What's that…?" Ash mumbled as he pulled out a Pokédex to scan his opponent's Pokémon.

"_**Simipour, the Geyser Pokémon. The tuft on its head holds water. When the level runs low, it replenishes the tuft by siphoning water with its tail. The high-pressure water expelled from its tail is so powerful, it can destroy a concrete wall."**_

"A Pokédex, huh?" Hilda said with a grin. This guy must've met Professor Juniper. "Let's kick things off, Popo! Use Rain Dance!"

"Simi-sim!" Popo started to hop from foot to foot while wiggling its arms. He spurted a small cloud out from the tuft on his head that reached the ceiling of the train cloud and grew bigger and bigger, covering the lights and causing a light drizzle to fall inside.

"Wh-what the heck?" Ash sputtered while his Pikachu tried to cover itself.

Hilda stuck out her tongue sheepishly. "Ah, forgot we were indoors. Oh, well! A little rain won't hurt you—but it'll hurt your Tranquill! Popo, use Scald!"

"Simipooour!" The Geyser Pokémon exclaimed as he opened his mouth and spat out a burst of scalding hot water.

"Dodge it, Tranquill!" The bird Pokémon obeyed and flew down to avoid being hit. The water wound up hitting Ash in the face, leaving it red from the heat. He quickly shook it off and went back to commanding his Pokémon. "Air Cutter!" Tranquill cooed before it began to flap its wings rapidly, releasing several blades of wind, some of which hit Popo.

"Show off your Acrobatics!" Hilda commanded, and the Simipour jumped up into the air to avoid being hit by them. He then grabbed hold of a pair of handles hanging from the car ceiling and sprang forward, kicking Tranquill with his feet before it could dodge. "Finish it off with Scald!"

"Gust, Tranquill!"

Tranquill began to flap its wings to blow Simipour back, but the blue Pokémon unleashed a massive burst of hot water with his tail before that was done, the intense pressure forcing it up into the ceiling and making a dent. Tranquill fell to the ground, dazed and semiconscious.

"That's one win for my side! We're on a roll!" Hilda exclaimed, holding a hand up in the air at the same time as Popo as Ash returned Tranquill to its Poké Ball.

"Next, I choose…Snivy!" In a flash of light, a Snivy appeared in front of Ash with its hands on its hips and serious expression on its face.

"Snivy, huh…? In that case, come back, Popo!" In a flash of light, Hilda returned the Water type to its Poké Ball and pulled out a Great Ball from her bag. "Go get 'em, Zen!"

In a flash of light, a Darmanitan appeared, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "DAAAAARMAAAA!" He cried out, snorting out smoke.

"Let's clear up the rain clouds with Sunny Day!" The Blaze Pokémon's trainer commanded. Zen looked up at the ceiling and opened his mouth. He fired a small ball of bright light that was strong enough to disperse the clouds, leaving behind a bright hot light. "Now use Fire Punch!"

Zen held up a fist and it was suddenly engulfed in fire. "DAR!" He punched towards Snivy.

"Snivy, dodge and use Attract!"

Hilda blinked. "Attract?"

Snivy leapt gracefully into the air just as Zen's punch hit the floor, making a scorched dent. Hearts began to swirl around the Grass Snake Pokémon, and when she winked, those hearts went flying towards Zen. When it hit him, hearts appeared in his eyes and he began to swoon over the Snivy.

"…Attract," the girl trainer muttered. "Freaking attract. What I wouldn't give for an item that could snap a Pokémon out of infatuation…" She didn't hear Ash order his Snivy to use Vine Whip on her Darmanitan, but she didn't worry. If she was lucky, the shock of transforming would knock him out of love with that Snivy.

Right on cue, after being hit by a powerful Leaf Storm, he transformed from a red fiery beast to a blue statue-like creature.

"Now that you're getting weaker, you _do_ realize that it's pointless to let that Snivy walk all over your feelings, right?" Hilda shouted loudly.

"Darma…!" The hearts in his eyes broke and were replaced with flames.

"That's more like it! End it with Overheat!" Zen's body suddenly caught aflame, and a wave of heat swept towards Snivy and scorched it, enveloping it in flames. The Grass Snake Pokémon landed in front of Ash, semiconscious and and burnt.

"That's _two_ for me!" Hilda said as she returned Zen to his Poké Ball. "Wanna give up now, or are you hoping for a victory from behind?" The only way he'd be able to win now would be if he had some really powerful Pokémon in reserve.

In a flash of light, without even hearing Ash call out his next Pokémon, an Oshawott appeared. "Oshawott? Didn't we talk about this already? You shouldn't come out without my telling you to—especially now!"

"Osha," Oshawott said, patting his shell as he smiled.

"You really think you can handle it? …Alright, let's do our best! It'll be tough, but we'll make it through!" Ash said with a confident smirk.

Hilda stifled a laugh as she grabbed her third Poké Ball. He must've been one of those who liked to battle with his gut if he had a Water type in reserve and stuck with Snivy against her Darmanitan. Oh, well. There were a bunch of guys like that out there. "Get ready to have your mind blown by the mistress of disaster! Go for it, Scrappy!"

She tossed her ball up into the air and in a flash of light, a Scrafty appeared. "Scrafty!" The Scrafty pulled up her pants and folded her arms across her chest, looking menacing until her pants fell.

"Scrafty, huh?" Ash mumbled as he took out his Pokédex.

"_**Scrafty, the Hoodlum Pokémon. The evolved form of Scraggy. Groups of them beat up anything that enters their territory. Each can spit acidic liquid from its mouth. It can smash concrete blocks with its kicking attacks. The one with the biggest crest is the group leader."**_

"Read enough? Then let's get it started! Scrappy, use Toxic!" Scrappy started to chew something in her mouth before spitting out a foul-looking black liquid.

"Dodge it, Oshawott, and use Razor Shell!" Oshawott started to run around like a chicken with its head cut off in an attempt to avoid the poisonous spit rain down from above. When it was over, he hopped over the small puddle of poison and ran towards Scrappy, shell drawn.

Hilda didn't say anything as Ash's Oshawott slashed away at her Scrafty quickly. "Counter with Payback!" Scrappy was enveloped in a purple aura before she gave the Oshawott a hard strike to the chest just as it was preparing another swing. The blow was enough to make Oshawott release its shell, and it went flying behind him.

"WOOOOTT!" He cried out in an overdramatic manner.

"Poison Jab, now!" Scrappy held up her fist and it began to flow bright purple. She punched forward, but at that point, Oshawott had already turned tail and ran off to pick up his shell. He gave a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Oshawott, look out!"

"Osha?" Oshawott turned around and raised his shell in time to block a Poison Jab from Scrappy. The Scrafty started a flurry of punches, Oshawott blocking every one until she feinted and punched him in the face, leaving a purple bruise on his face. The otter Pokémon stumbled back, looking slightly green in the face.

"Oh, no! I think he's been poisoned…!" Ash mumbled.

"Let's have a big finish! Use Hi-Jump Kick!" Hilda commanded Scrappy. The Scrafty jumped back and pulled her pants up high, holding them in place. She started to run forward and jumped up, looking to dropkick Oshawott.

"One last chance… Use Aqua Jet, Oshawott!" Although breathing heavy, Oshawott found the strength in him to create water all around him and shot towards Scrappy. When the two collided, they wound up sending each other flying to opposite direction.

"Scrappy! I should've have taken a risk using Payback like that. Now you're all busted up," Hilda said, returning the semiconscious Scrafty to her ball. "You did better than I thought! You're the first one on this run who was able to knock out at least _one_ of my Pokémon. But I _still_ won! Too bad, Ash," she said as she walked up to the machine nearby that healed Pokémon after matches. "It was just bad luck that you ran into me."

"Hmm…" Ash hummed under his breath and returned Oshawott to his Poké Ball. He suddenly smiled and walked over to Hilda. "That was a good fight. Your Pokémon are really strong!"

The brunette smiled. "Thanks! And yours are pretty talented! I didn't think Snivy and Oshawott were strong enough to learn Leaf Storm and Aqua Jet before evolving. You must be a pretty good trainer!"

He held out his hand. "If we meet again, let's have another battle! And next time, I swear I'll win!"

She stared at the hand until she shook it. "Deal."

**X-X-X**

Hilda fell back onto the bed in the room she had rented out in the Pokémon Center. She held her hand up in front of her face and stared at it for a long time before she sighed. She felt electricity when they shook hands, and wondered if he felt it, too? But that would be silly, wouldn't it? Falling in love with some stranger you met on the subway. That sort of thing only happened in movies and romance novels.

"Besides, what're the chances that I'm ever going to see him again?" The brunette said with a yawn before she dozed off.

**X-X-X**

**Please review for the sake of Blu. Actual OthelloShipping soon to come.**


	2. Chapter 2

**BLARGH! This really is more difficult than I thought—mainly because I'm trying to keep Ash in character with this pairing. And it's very hard to make a two-sided spontaneous relationship with a character who doesn't seem to comprehend the difference between a friendship and a relationship for humans **_**or**_** Pokémon… No wonder people like to make characters OOC sometimes for crack pairings!**

_Disclaimer: If you know the old tune: I don't own the Pokémon franchise, just this fic._

**X-X-X**

_~We Met Again at the Battle Club~_

Was it stupid that even after waking up after a good night's rest, Hilda found herself _still_ having the occasional passing thought about Ash? She'd met plenty of trainers before him and couldn't remember them after a few minutes—save Hilbert and Cheren, and that was only because she knew them since childhood. But in Ash's case, she remembered all things about him—his name, his face, his voice, the jolt she felt when they shook hands…

And all of that while she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. At four in the morning. "There is something seriously wrong with me… I need some help with this…" She spat out the toothpaste and immediately ran out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She picked her Xtransceiver up off the bed and pressed a few buttons.

After a few seconds, the screen changed and Hilda was greeted with the sight of an older version of herself. The woman yawned with closed eyes before saying, "Hello?"

"Morning, Mom…"

"Hilda? Why on earth are you calling _now_? It's…after 4 in the morning!" Her mother complained. "Honey...it's sweet that you called _me_ for a change, but maybe we should do this later. Say noonish?"

"But I need to ask you about something _now_…!" Hilda couldn't help but whine. She was all alone in a big city all by herself and facing the prospect of her first love—this was a time when most girls would rely on either friends or mothers for support. And since she didn't even know if Bianca managed to leave Nuvema Town and her overprotective father, her mother was her best source of comfort.

Her mom sighed before sitting up and moving the Xtransceiver with her. "Well…what's the problem?"

"Do you believe in…love at first sight?" She saw her mother flinch at those words.

"Oh, Hilda, no… Please don't tell me you fell in love with someone you saw while you were traveling. _Please_ don't say that!"

"I don't know! I just…met him the other day and I can't stop thinking about him every couple of minutes… Is that what love at first sight is?" She never did fall in love—not even a crush. Her only description of how love felt like came from television and books, but she didn't think a person could fall for a guy simple by a look and a touch.

Her mother didn't seem to hear her question. "You shouldn't do that! It's not a question of you being too _young_ to fall in love, but those sorts of relationships never work out. I mean, you see each other in the same town every couple of days, you get close, you _think_ you're in love and will never be separated, but then as soon as he finishes the Unova challenge, he's off to another country to collect more badges…!"

"…Mom? Do I need to ask?"

"…No, you don't. And you should stop thinking about him. You're only going to get hurt when you realize that the chances of you staying together with a complete and total stranger you've met a few times—"

"Once," Hilda corrected.

"Even worse, only _once_, are slim to none! That's just a disaster waiting to happen. Trust me: it's just a phase," her mother instructed. "He…doesn't feel the same way, does he?"

"…I don't _think_ so." After all, just because _she_ couldn't stop thinking about him didn't mean that Ash even gave her a second thought after leaving Gear Station.

**X-X-X**

Later in the morning, at the time when people _normally_ woke up, Ash found himself laying on the bed in the room he shared with Iris and Cilan, completely quiet and staring at his hand. It was funny, but in a weird way. He shook hands with a lot of people before, but he didn't feel the jolt he did when he shook hands with Hilda yesterday. It wasn't like being zapped by Pikachu, not enough to make him jump or flinch, but it made him smile wider before wishing her good luck on her final battle.

He always said that he hoped he would see someone he met on his journey through a region again, but he knew how rare it was to happen. Days, maybe a month. It didn't irritate him, though. But for some reason, the thought of not battling with Hilda—or even not getting the chance to just see her again, made him frown.

"Is something wrong, Ash?"

"Huh?" He looked to his side and saw Cilan, Iris, Pikachu and Axew staring at him. How couldn't he have noticed them?

"You're being _really_ quiet for a change. Are you sick or something?" Iris asked, looking at him suspiciously. She'd been around him long enough to know that he didn't just lay in silence for no reason in the early morning.

"What makes you say that?"

"We were standing here for five minutes staring at you stare at the ceiling," Cilan stated. "Are you alright, Ash?"

Pikachu jumped onto the bed and looked him in the eye. "Pikachu?"

Ash shook his head and sat up. "Just wondering how long it'll take for the bridge to be repaired. Driftveil City is so close; I can't help it if I get testy over it."

"Oh, I see. It shouldn't take much longer until it's fixed," the Connoisseur stated. "Now, what should we do today? There are the stadiums, the mall, the theater—"

"The amusement park!" Iris exclaimed brightly.

"Ax-eeeww," Axew swooned at the thought of cotton candy and popcorn.

"Didn't we go there last night? And the night before that? And the night before _that_?" Cilan asked, his question not getting through to the Dragon Master-in-training and her Pokémon.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but me and Pikachu are gonna hit the Battle Club. Right, Pikachu?"

"Piii…" Pikachu started to fantasize about cotton candy as well. He shook his head and snapped out of his daydream to smile at Ash. "Pikachu!"

**X-X-X**

Later, the trainer from Pallet and his electric mouse were in Nimbasa City's Battle Club, the latter searching for something on the club's computer. Or, to be more precise, some_one_. He knew there was a chance that maybe Hilda wasn't in the Battle Club's computers, but he had to try, right? He was sure that if he fought her again and won, he'd stop feeling so weird. He was sure that it was it.

"Let's see… Here she is!" Ash exclaimed. He looked at her information and the image of her on the screen.

"Hilda, huh?" A deep voice from behind made Ash jump and nearly made Pikachu fall off his shoulder. The trainer turned around to see Don George standing behind him and looking at the screen as well. "She's been here quite a few times since the bridge broke down. You wanna battle her?"

The look on Ash's face brightened. "Yeah! Think you could call her for me?"

"Actually, she's here right now."

The boy blinked. "She…is?" Talk about lucky coincidences.

**X-X-X**

In the Battle Club gymnasium, Hilda was staring down at a pair of small bracers, red and brown, that could have fit perfectly around her wrist. "I don't see what the problem is. It can't be _that_ heavy…" She turned to look at her Rufflet and Vullaby, Ace and Lulu, who were glaring down at the bracers. They were supposed to help increase their offensive and defensive capabilities respectively, but the two bird Pokémon looked hesitant to put them on again. But the bracers, apparently, were so heavy that Lulu kept falling on her butt and Ace kept bumping into things as he flew around the room, hence why several pieces of equipment were lying on the floor. "…Let's try it one more time—and hopefully with _no_ accidents!"

To both birds' relief, before their trainer could slip them on again, Ash ran into the room shouting her name... "Hilda—AAAAAAHHHH!" …And tripped over a weight, falling down and hitting his head on a slightly larger set of weights, becoming motionless.

"Vulla?" Lulu walked over to him and began to peck him on the head.

Don George walked into the room and his eyes widened. "What on earth happened in here?"

"Uhhh… A little problem with the weights," Hilda chuckled nervously while Lulu continued to peck Ash on the head, with Ace joining in. Pikachu ran over over to the two and shooed them away before turning to Ash.

"Pika-pi?" When no response came, Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity. "CHUUUUU!" He hit Ash with a Thunderbolt, waking him up and making him jolt up onto his knees.

"What? What happened?"

Hilda blinked and stared at him in shock. It'd be really hard to not think about him if he just popped up like this. She remained silent as Ash regained sense of what was going on and looked at her.

"Hilda! I didn't think I'd run into you twice in two days! Talk about coincidence!"

"Pika?" Pikachu stared at his trainer in confusion. Wasn't he _trying_ to find her?

"Yeah, it…must be destiny trying to say something," she said with a small smile. Stupid destiny…

"Rufflet!"

"Huh?" Ash looked down and noticed Hilda's Rufflet and Vullaby. "What are _these_?" He took out his Pokédex and scanned the two bird Pokémon.

"_**Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. They crush berries with their talons. They bravely stand up to any opponent, no matter how strong it is, and challenge it without fear. Because of their frequent fights, they grow stronger.**_

_**Vullaby, the Diapered Pokémon. Its wings are too tiny to allow it to fly. They guard their posteriors with suitable bones they have found. As the time approaches for it to evolve, it discards the bones it was wearing. They pursue weak Pokémon for their meals."**_

"Are these _your_ Pokémon?"

"Yeah. We were training before you kinda…dropped in on us," the brunette girl said as she stroked Lulu's head, only to notice that Ace was gone. She looked around and saw her Rufflet standing in front of Ash's Pikachu and glaring at him. "Ah! No, don't—!" He reared his head back and pecked the mouse Pokémon.

"Pika! Pika-pi? Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu complained, glaring at the eaglet. It was about to peck him again, but the electric mouse stopped him with a quick jolt.

"RUFFLEEEEET! Rufflet! Rufflet!" Ace complained and ran back over to Hilda, pointing at Pikachu. "Ruff-rufflet! Let!"

The brunette sighed and stroked Ace's plumage. "You started it. Next time don't attack someone out of the blue."

Ash chuckled to himself. "He kinda reminds me of one of _my_ Pokémon. He always winds up trying to start fights." He stopped chuckling when he noticed Ace was standing in front of him, glaring up at him. Before he could say a word, the eaglet flew up and used Slash on his face. "UWAAAAAAHHH!"

"OH, MY—! I'm so sorry! _So_ sorry!" Hilda apologized as her Rufflet landed and snorted before walking away from Ash. "Look what you did! How many times have I told you never to attack someone like that?" Rufflet gave her a look that said _'What did I do?'_.

"I…I'm alright…! I've been hit with worse," Ash said as he lowered his hands from his face, wincing slightly from the pain.

"You can't be serious!" But then again, he took a Thunderbolt from an electric type Pokémon and was no worse for the wear. Still, she didn't want anything to happen to him, like getting sick because those scratches became infected. "Uh… Hold on! My brother said he tried this once when he got bitten by a Darumaka!"

"I _said_ I'm fine!" The dark-haired boy insisted until she poked one of the scratches with her free hand. "Ow!"

"Sure doesn't sound like you're fine. Quit complaining and be quiet. Aha!" She pulled out a spray bottle of potion. "Here it is!"

"Uhhh… A potion?"

"You _do_ realize that those should only be used on Pokémon?" Don George asked, arching an eyebrow.

"My brother says it can work on people, too."

"But you shouldn't _use_ it on humans because they don't have as high a threshold for pain as Pokémon do. Trust me— I've tried it. It's worse than being run over by a herd of Bouffalant.

Hilda smiled. "You don't know my brother! Pain is only a minor nuisance for him!" She looked at Ash and held up the Potion bottle. "And if _you_ can take a Thunderbolt and a Slash from a Rufflet, you can endure a spray of potion. Now close your eyes…"

Ash gulped. The girl looked a bit…menacing, like she was threatening him with a gun. He couldn't help but close his eyes and wait until the pain hit. After all, it couldn't be _that_ bad…could it? "…!"

**X-X-X**

Somewhere on the streets of Nimbasa City, Iris and Cilan were admiring some realistic Pokémon dolls in the display window of a toy store.

"Wow, Axew, look at that one! It looks just like you!" The purple-haired girl exclaimed, pointing at an Axew doll in the corner. The dragon Pokémon poked its head out of her hair to see. She suddenly turned around and began to look around, to Cilan's confusion.

"Something wrong, Iris?"

"I thought I heard Ash for a second… Oh, well."

**X-X-X**

Half an hour later, Ash, Pikachu, Hilda, and Don George were in the entrance area of the Battle Club.

"I don't know what you're so upset about! You're fine now! No marks or anything," Hilda said with a nervous smile as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't think I can feel my face," Ash mumbled. Pikachu blinked and started to tug at his trainer's cheek, stretching it up and down before realizing he wasn't doing anything.

"You did better than _I_ did," Don George muttered. "I had to knock myself out just so I wouldn't feel the pain…"

"Sorry! I thought if you could take Ace's attack without flinching, you'd be able to handle it," Hilda said with an apologetic look. "Well, later." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ash ran around in front of her. "So long as we're both here, why don't you and me have that rematch we promised each other?"

The brunette gulped. All she wanted was to get away from Ash as soon as possible and prevent them from getting so close that breaking up would be unbearable for her. …What was she _thinking_? They weren't even dating! Besides, she was never one to turn down a battle. More battles meant more experience for the league, and entertainment on an otherwise plain day. "…Alright. Let's have a three-on-three match. First one whose entire team is knocked out loses. And just to make things intriguing, let's _not_ use the Pokémon we used in our match yesterday." So this way, she _might_ have a chance of seeing a Pikachu in battle.

The raven grinned and nodded. "Alright! I just have to make a change to my team and I'll be raring to go!"

**X-X-X**

A few minutes later, Ash and Hilda were standing on opposite sides of the Battle Club fighting arena with Don George standing on the sidelines. Nearby, several other trainers were watching while waiting for their turn to battle.

"Our current matchup is a triple battle between Ash Ketchum and Hilda Grey. Both competitors will battle until one's entire team is knocked out," Don George explained.

"I've never had a _triple_ battle before…" Ash mumbled as he stared at the grinning Hilda. He suddenly smirked himself and looked down at Pikachu. "You ready to show your stuff?"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu jumped off of his trainer's shoulder and ran forward into the arena.

The boy pulled out a pair of Poké Balls and threw them out. "Go, Tepig and Swadloon!" In a flash of light, Swadloon and Tepig appeared on either side of Pikachu.

"Tepig, too? You really _are_ lucky if you managed to catch all the starter Pokémon," Hilda mumbled to herself as she pulled out three Poké Balls and threw them up into the air. "Verde! Bolt! Aegyl! Come on out!" In a flash of light, a Servine, Zebstrika and a male Unfezant appeared side by side. Ash already had his Pokédex out to scan the latter two.

"_**Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokémon. The evolved form of Blitzle. This ill-tempered Pokémon is dangerous because when it's angry, it shoots lightning from its mane in all directions. Zebstrika have lightning-like movements, and when they run at full speed, the sound of thunder reverberates.**_

_**Unfezant, the Proud Pokémon. The final form of Pidove. Males swing the plumage on their heads to threaten enemies, while females have incredible flying ability. They never let themselves feel close to anyone other than their trainers."**_

"Let's pump up! Verde, Growth! Aegyl, Work up! Bolt, Charge!" Hilda commanded. Her Servine suddenly glowed bright white, her Unfezant radiated with a red aura, and her Zebstrika began to charge energy.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Aegyl! Tepig, use Ember on Verde! Swadloon, Razor Leaf on Bolt!" Ash commanded.

Tepig reared his head back and released blast of embers from its snout aimed at Verde while he was still using Growth. Swadloon sent a barrage of leaves flying towards Bolt, slashing at the Zebstrika and halting its charging. But before Pikachu's Thunderbolt could hit Aegyl, the Unfezant took flight and it redirected and hit Bolt's mane, causing electricity to crackle around his body for a moment.

"What the—?"

"Bolt's special ability is Lightningrod. If you try to use any electric attacks to zap down _any_ of my Pokémon, he'll draw it in and add to to his own power! And now, he'll give it right back to you with Discharge!"

Bolt stomped the ground once as he began to charge up. "Zeb…STRIKA!" He unleashed a burst of electricity, causing bolts of lightning to dart around hectically. Ash's team ran around, trying to dodge, but eventually, Swadloon was hit, followed by Tepig, collapsing on the ground from the intensity for a moment. Pikachu was the last one to be hit by a bolt, but it didn't affect him as much as the others and he shook it off quickly.

"Alright, then I won't use electric attacks! Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Bolt!" Pikachu fell on all fours and took off towards the Zebstrika, gaining speed quickly.

"Aegyl, use Quick Attack, too, to block Pikachu!" The Unfezant cawed and dove down towards Pikachu, intercepting the electric mouse by tackling it head on. "Now, Verde, use Vine Whip! Bolt, Quick Attack!"

"Swadloon, use String Shot on Pikachu!"

Swadloon opened his mouth and spat out a long string of silk that wrapped around Pikachu. The bug Pokémon pulled Pikachu back before the Servine's vines could hit him, but had to keep pulling him back to keep him out of the reach of the pursuing Zebstrika.

"Tepig! Flame Charge!" Ash commanded, pointing at Bolt as it closed in on Pikachu. Tepig ran forward, his body eventually becoming engulfed him flames. He leapt over Pikachu's head just as Bolt was about headbutt him and hit the Thunderbolt Pokémon with enough force to make him stop. "Alright! Way to go, Tepig!" Bolt stepped back, sporting a slight burn on his head from the point of impact.

"Great, now he's burnt…" Hilda muttered under her breath. She noticed Tepig looking a bit woozy himself. Bolt's attack must have hit a tender spot. She sighed. "Aegyl, use Air Slash! Bolt and Verde, Charge and Growth!"

Aegyl took up into the air once more as the rest of his team continued to channel their power. The bird Pokémon began to flap his wings quickly, unleashing blades of wind down at their opponents. Pikachu and Tepig managed to dodge, if barely, but one blade clipped Swadloon in the side, making a tear in his cloak.

The leaf-covered Pokémon glared up at the bird in distaste. "_Loooon_…!"

"Tepig, Ember! Swadloon, Razor Leaf! Pikachu, Iron Tail! Aim for Aegyl, guys!"

Tepig reared his head back and fired a burst of embers up to the Unfezant. He easily flew out of the way, only to be hit by a barrage of Razor Leaves, courtesy of an upset Swadloon. The final one made a small nick on the plumage coming out of his head, making Aegyl gape in shock. Swadloon just had a justified look on his face. The Unfezant was so shocked, he failed to notice Pikachu coming towards him until it was too late, and he was struck in the chest with Iron Tail.

"No…" Hilda mumbled as Aegyl fell and hit the ground, dazed and semiconscious. His face on the electronic board became dim as she returned the Unfezant to his ball. "Not bad… Now I'm going to return the favor. Bolt, use Discharge!"

Bolt winced from his burn before stomping his hooves and charging up energy. He released another burst of pent up electricity that shocked Ash's entire team. Tepig fell down, but tried to get back on his feet. Unfortunately, he didn't have much energy left in him and dropped back down, panting hard.

"Tepig, return!" Ash exclaimed as he held out Tepig's Poké Ball. The fire pig gave a disappointed cry before it returned into its ball. Tepig's image on the scoreboard dimmed before the action resumed. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail on Bolt!"

"Bolt, use Flame Charge on Swadloon!"

The mouse and horse Pokémon started to run towards each other, the former's tail taking on a metallic quality while the latter became engulfed in flames. Pikachu jumped up and struck the Zebstrika in the chest, but as hard as the attack hit, it didn't get the Thunderbolt Pokémon to stop running and trampled past Pikachu towards Swadloon.

"Swadloon, stop it with Energy Ball!" Ash commanded.

Swadloon opened his mouth and began to form a ball of bright green energy in front of him. Just as Bolt was a foot away, the bug Pokémon fired the Energy Ball, hitting the Zebstrika in the chest, although it faltered, it didn't stop into it charged into Swadloon hard enough to send it flying out of the arena and into Ash's arms. After that, it fell over, unable to take any more pain from its burn.

"Swadloon! Are you alright?"

"Swad…loon…" Was all Swadloon muttered before losing consciousness, and his and Bolt's images on the scoreboard dimmed.

"You did great," Ash said before he returned it to its Poké Ball.

Hilda returned Bolt to his Poké Ball. "Good job, as always." She looked at Ash, smirking with her hands on her hips. "Looks like it's down to a one-on-one match! I'm almost worried you're going to win—_almost_."

"Not almost. _Will_!"

"Doubt it! But if you're so sure that you'll win, why don't we have a little wager?"

Ash arched an eyebrow. "Wager?"

"Whoever loses has to do whatever the winner tells them to do!"

Common sense would tell a person _'no'_ when it came to bets like that. But at the moment, Ash's guts were in control of his mouth. "You're on!"

"Great! I already know what I want you to do~!" Hilda pointed at Pikachu. "Alright, Verde! Use Giga Drain!"

"Serrrvine!" Verde growled before his vines stretched out from beneath his collar and sped towards Pikachu. They wrapped around the electric mouse before they started to glow bright green, quickly draining away his energy.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed.

"PikaCHUUUUU!" Pikachu channeled a Thunderbolt through Verde's vines, shocking him until he was let go.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Pikachu darted towards the Servine, his tail taking on a metallic quality once more. He turned around, aiming to strike Verde in the side.

"Dodge it!" Hilda shouted, and Verde jumped over Pikachu's Iron Tail before it could hit, landing a few feet to his right. "Show off your Leaf Tornado!"

The leaves on her Servine's tail glowed before he started to spin around rapidly, leaves of bright green energy swirling around it as wind seemed to pick up. The Servine spun towards Pikachu and caught him in his Leaf Tornado, the leaves cutting away at him until he was thrown back at the end. Pikachu landed on his feet, covered in some nicks, but otherwise still capable of fighting.

"Servine's Growth really pumped up his attacks. In another hit, maybe two, your Pikachu'll be down for the count!" Hilda boasted while her Servine closed his eyes.

Ash growled under his breath before shouting, "Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

Pikachu held his tail upward as it began to glow and crackle with electricity. An Electro Ball formed at the top of his tail. "Pi-KA!" He flipped in midair and threw the electric orb at Verde. The Servine opened an eye in time to see the Electro Ball before it hit him and exploded into a burst of sparks. Verde shook it off and started to breathe heavy.

At this rate, it would take a single move to knockout either of their Pokémon. A moment of silence was brought on by the two being deep in thought over what their next, and possibly final move would be.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Verde, Leaf Blade!"

The two Pokémon ran towards each other, the Pikachu's tail turning to iron once more while the Servine's tail began to glow bright green. As they approached, they turned around and struck their opponent in opposing sides as hard as they could with their tails. They both stood in silence, glaring at each other hard. After a while, Verde coughed and fell over, unconscious, and Pikachu fell on his feet, breathing heavy from the blow. If it had hit a bit harder, he would've been knocked out, too.

"And Ash is the winner!" Don George proclaimed, pointing at the male trainer.

"We did it!" Ash shouted, pumping a fist in the air. He ran over to Pikachu and picked him up, grinning while Hilda returned Verde to his Poké Ball. The trainer from Pallet ran over to her. "Told you I'd win this time."

Hilda forced a smile onto her face. When was the last time she lost a battle? It'd been so long ago, she couldn't remember. "Well, I guess we can say you make good on your promises. So…what is it that you want me to do for you?" If it was anything dirty, she'd lose all interest in him. Part of her was rooting for him to ask for such a thing so she'd have an excuse to never talk to him again, but the other was hopeful and asked for it to be anything but that.

"Huh?" The boy looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I don't really have anything in mind."

"Seriously? Well, think of something fast before I retract the offer! _Well_?"

Ash opened his mouth to say something when his stomach growled. "…Food."

Hilda stared at him in confusion for a while. "…You want me to buy you lunch?" He nodded. "Good! Let's go!" She exclaimed, grabbing hold of his hand and walking out of the battle area, him grinning from the jolt their contact made and her blushing from holding hands with him again, neither knowing _why_ they felt that way, but simply enjoying the contact for as long as it lasted.

**X-X-X**

Several minutes and a short ride on the subway later, Ash and Hilda were sitting on a park bench in one of Nimbasa City's parks, eating hotdogs that the girl had to buy to fulfill her part of the deal. And somehow, she wound up having to buy a hotdog for Pikachu as well, at the Pokémon's insistence. So that their entire time together wasn't filled with uncomfortable silence, the two began to chat, mainly about the adventures they had so far on their respective Pokémon journeys.

"Wow. I'm kinda jealous of you, Ash," Hilda said with a pout. "Compared to me, it's like you live the life of a cartoon hero or something…" She muttered.

"Really?" Ash gave a slight blush before he puffed his chest out proudly. "Well, you know! I just do what anyone else would do if they were in the same situation!"

"It's not just what you do! It's what happens to you!" She frowned. "Compared to _you_, my journey seems…_blah_," she started to mope, slumping over and suddenly depressed.

Ash and Pikachu stared at the depressed girl. "Uhhh… I'm _sure_ your journey's not as boring as you think…"

"Seriously! The most unusual things that I have going for me are the weird guy I see occasionally and the occasional nonsense my Pokémon do…" Hilda suddenly sat up straight and slapped her cheeks. "Come on, get over it!" She stood up, folding her arms across her chest and turning around to look at Ash. "So, what do you wanna do now?"

"I dunno. I've already seen everything in Nimbasa that's interested me…" All Cilan and Iris went to do was browse in stores, eat in fancy restaurants, and check out a show at the Pokémon Musical like they had been doing in their spare time for the last couple of days. In a short while, they all started looking the same to _him_.

"Wanna go catch a movie, then? I'll pay for your ticket~!" Hilda said with a smirk.

"Well, when you put it like _that_…"

**X-X-X**

A movie was a supposedly romantic setting. Sitting together in the dark theater, one's actions could only be noticed if they made noise since everyone else would be watching the movie screen. So Hilda assumed that if Ash felt any feelings for her, he would be a typical boy and attempt to cuddle up with her while the movie was taking place.

Unfortunately, her assumption was wrong. They caught a matinee—three movies in a row, a genre mash up of comedy, action and romance movies. They spent over 9 hours sitting next to each other, their only contact being his hand on top of hers, which she hadn't noticed until after the final movie ended, so who knows for how long they were holding hands?

"There really must be something wrong with me…or maybe it's with _him_…or with _both_ of us. _Someone's_ gotta be at fault here!" Hilda found herself muttering. Pikachu stared at her staring at the ground from his place on Ash's shoulder.

Ash was too busy staring up at the ceiling as they stepped out of the theater to avoid looking at Hilda. Truthfully, he only touched her twice by accident during the first two movies, but the brunette hadn't even noticed. So he thought it would be safe during the romance movie at the end. But the entire thing was so boring, Ash wound up nodding off every once in a while until he finally fell asleep in that position, and stayed that way until Hilda jerked her hand out from under his, waking him out of a particularly sweet dream he couldn't remember now.

It seemed like everyone else walking out of the theater and back onto the city street was talking but the two of them. Pikachu kept looking back and forth between his usually animated trainer and the seemingly energetic girl. This sort of silence felt a bit unsettling for the electric mouse, so he maneuvered his tail so it was pressed against Ash's back and gave him a slight jolt, just enough to snap him out of trying to remember his dream.

"OW! What'd you do _that_ for?" Ash complained, looking at Pikachu.

"Pika-pi-ka…" The mouse Pokémon pointed over to Hilda, who was still muttering things to herself.

"Uh… You okay, Hilda?"

"Yes!" She shouted loudly, suddenly standing up straight, her hands at her sides and her mouth fixed into a straight line. She relaxed and turned around to look at Ash. Luckily, she managed to hold back the urge to blush. "Thanks for the day today. It's…been a while since I've hung out with anyone…"

"Glad I gave you company, then! And, uh, thanks for paying for everything for me…"

"No problem. Although, if we _do_ have a little date again, _you_ have to pay for everything." Hilda turned her back on him suddenly, unable to hide her blush any longer after what she said. A _date_? Could they even call this a _date_? "I-I gotta go! Bye!" She spoke quickly before running off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Pika?" Pikachu blinked and stared in the direction the brunette had run off to. He then looked at Ash, who was staring in the same direction with a slight blush on his face.

"That was…a _date_…?" Ash held up the hand that held Hilda's for two hours straight and stared at it for a few seconds, smiling. But after a while, the smile faded, the blush on his cheeks got darker and he gulped. He never really had one before, but…could it be that he had…a _crush_? On a girl he just met yesterday? It couldn't be true…

Pikachu just stared at Ash in confusion before giving a sigh of frustration. "Pikachu…"

**X-X-X**

**Next up: the finale! Will these two be able to admit that what they're feeling is love at first sight, as crazy as it sounds?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm going to try and make this last part short, but sweet. There's not much left to it but to bring it on home.**

_Disclaimer: Blu Rose does not own Pokémon. She only owns this story._

**X-X-X**

_~We Met Once More at the Amusement Park~_

The next morning, Hilda found herself staring up at the ceiling with a dazed expression. "I can't stop feeling like this… I know I _should_ because of what my Mom said. Especially since Ash said he came all the way from Kanto… Long distance relationships never work out, do they?"

Her Pokémon, who were eating berries they had gotten out of her bag, stared at her in confusion. They really had no idea what was wrong with their trainer and made the assumption that she wasn't feeling well. Scrappy was the first one who took the initiative and jumped onto the bed next to Hilda and pulled her head back. "Scraf…TY!" She headbutted the brunette in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to sit up.

"What in the— SCRAPPY!"

"Scrafty," the Hoodlum Pokémon said, smiling like she had done a good thing.

"How many times have I told you not to do that…?" The trainer groaned and held onto her aching stomach. She got out of the bed and started to return her Pokémon into their balls. When she was done, she sighed. What was she going to do today? She was tired of training at the Battle Club, and she'd already won on all of the lines on the Battle Subway.

"Maybe I'll just…take a walk and try to sort out my thoughts…" Hilda muttered under her breath.

**X-X-X**

Hilda later found herself walking down the street, staring down at the ground in thought. She tried to think up ways to get herself to stop feeling this way about Ash. He lived in another country, which meant that as soon as he was done competing in the Unova League, he was gone forever. Not to mention that all their meetings were simply pure chance, _and_ that Ash seemingly had no interest in her, otherwise he would do what guys on television sitcoms and romance movies do to get her attention. Plus, what were the chances of them meeting up again?

"Hilda!" At the sound of that familiar voice, the brunette flinched and stopped walking. She turned around to see Ash running towards her with Cilan and Iris behind him. Were the chances higher than she thought? "Hey there!"

"Uh, hey. What does this make it: three times we've first met?" Hilda asked with an arched eyebrow. "It's like something's trying to push us together, huh?" She mentally cursed herself for that statement. She made it sound like she was _trying_ to get with him!

"Who's this, Ash?" Iris asked.

"Hm? Ah, I remember you!" Cilan exclaimed. "You're Hilda! You fought and won against Chili with your Snivy."

"You remember that? I don't know whether or not to be touched…" The girl trainer said, sticking her tongue out sheepishly while she scratched her cheek.

"That _still_ doesn't explain how she met Ash," the younger girl persisted.

"We, uh, met on the Battle Subway. She's the one who beat me on the last run," Ash explained. "And the reason why I came back so late yesterday was because we met at the Battle Club and spent the rest of the day together."

Iris gave him a sly look. "What was that? _Together_? Like a date?" She asked with a smirk.

"N-NOT A DATE!" Ash and Hilda shouted at the same time with red cheeks, everyone flinching at the sound of their voices together.

"We just had lunch and went to see a movie together as part of a bet," Hilda lied, not willing to admit that the movie was _her_ idea.

"Right. We just went as friends," Ash said, feeling his cheeks heat up more.

"Relax, relax! Of course it wasn't a date! I mean, how could some immature guy who doesn't even recognize love amongst Pokémon know what to do on a date with a girl—and that's only in the unlikely chance that there's a girl out there who could stand you and your recklessness."

"Now, now! When it comes to love, there's at least one person out there for everyone. When the time comes, Ash will experience the wonderful flavor that comes with the taste of first love!" Cilan exclaimed, holding a hand up in the air dramatically. "Even if there are others, none can compare to the taste of one's first love! It makes the heart race, the mind go off track at the thought of that one person, and the slightest contact from that person sends a sensation through the body like no other!"

"Kinda like…" Ash began.

"Being shocked by Thunderbolt," he and Hilda spoke at the same time. As soon as they said that, they looked at each other and blushed furiously.

"Uhhh, I-I gotta go! Catch you later!" The brunette shouted as she ran off, trying to control her incessant blushing.

"What was _that_ about?" Iris asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Pika…?" Pikachu stared in confusion at Ash, who was staring down at the ground with wide eyes and still blushing. "Pika-pi?" He tapped his friend on the cheek.

'_I can't believe it. Cilan __**has**__ to be wrong for a change, right? This can't be…!'_ The raven-haired boy gulped, unable to finish the thought.

"Ash? What's wrong with you?" Iris asked, staring at the blushing teen.

Cilan stared at Ash until his eyes widened. "Could it be…? Those eyes. That ever-darkening blush. There's no doubt about it!" He clapped his hands down on the younger boy's shoulder, eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're in love with Hilda!"

"WHAT?" Iris shouted loudly, causing Axew to pop out of her hair. "I know you said that there's someone out there for everyone, but it's still kinda weird to think that someone like Ash even pays attention to girls!"

"N-no, I'm not!" Ash insisted, shaking his head

"No need to deny your true feelings. Anyone can see that you're attracted to her," the Gym leader stated knowingly.

"I really don't think of her that way!"

"It's no use trying to hide your feelings. What matters now is finding out how _she_ feels about _you_!"

Ash gulped. "I-I don't really believe this, but…if I wanted to know how _she _felt, how would I go about it…?"

"It's simple. Just ask her out on a date. You could even use the the computer at the Battle Club to set up the time. From there, all you'd need to do is figure out a nice quiet place where you two can talk," Cilan explained.

"Like the amusement park!" Iris exclaimed.

"The amusement park has certainly imprinted itself on your mind, hasn't?"

"No, I mean that there's a Ferris wheel at the amusement park! As soon as they get on it, they'll be alone, and he can tell her that he loves her!"

"Ahhhh… That's a great plan, Iris!"

"Of course!" The Dragon Master-in-training said, looking proud with herself. She then turned to Ash with fire burning in her eyes. "And as soon as you two are up at the top, you have to unleash your confess with such burning passion, she'll have no choice but to say _'I love you, Ash Ketchum'_!"

"Maybe not quite like that," Cilan said with a sigh. "In situations like this, one only has to grab hold of their beloved's hand," he grabbed hold of Iris's hand, "Look lovingly into their eyes," he locked eyes with Iris, making her flinch, "And say: _'I'm deeply, madly in love with you. Please tell me if you feel the same way…'_"

The purple-haired girl stared in silence before she started to laugh. "HAHAHAHA! That's so…_corny_!"

The green-haired teen flinched. "What…? _Corny_?"

Ash was too busy crouching on the ground with Pikachu and Axew standing in front of him, staring curiously at the trainer as he muttered, "I'm _still_ not sure about this…"

**X-X-X**

That night, Ash stood outside of Nimbasa's amusement park waiting for Hilda, wrenching his hands nervously. Pikachu sat on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"I'm so nervous… I'm not even sure if she'll show up," he mumbled.

"Hey!" At the sound of a familiar voice, the dark-haired boy raised his head and saw Hilda running towards him.

Ash started to smile and waved. "Hey! I almost thought you wouldn't come."

"Hi, Ash! Hi, Pikachu~!" Hilda cooed, petting Pikachu on the head.

"Pikaaa…!"

"Of course I was going to come! This is your chance to repay me for my kindness yesterday," the brunette continued, folding her arms across her chest. "But you better not try anything fresh!"

"O-of course, of course! I wouldn't ever want to!"

"Are you insinuating that I'm not attractive enough to feel up?" The brunette asked with a glare.

Ash flinched. "I didn't _mean_—!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking," Hilda said with a smile, taking hold of Ash's hand. The jolt she felt when they touched seemed stronger now than it had been before. "Let's go have some fun, huh?" She pulled him into the amusement park, where they eventually blended in with the crowd and disappeared from the sight of Cilan and Iris, who were watching them from around a corner.

"I _still_ don't know why we couldn't follow them," Iris huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"It would seem odd if we were following them around on their date. And besides, Ash asked us not to follow him," Cilan stated.

"But how do we know he's going to get it right? He might goof up if we aren't there to tell him what to do!"

"All he has to do say what's on his mind."

"That's what I'm afraid of…"

**X-X-X**

To both of their surprise, the night didn't start off so bad. They played games, ate junk food, and overall enjoyed each other's company. And neither one said a thing when the other would grab their hand and drag them over to something of interest.

"Hey, let's go on the Ferris Wheel next!" Ash exclaimed, pointing to the ride in the distance.

Hilda stopped sipping her drink and stared up at it. "The…Ferris Wheel?" She didn't think she could go on that again. Not after what had happened several nights before that…

**X-X-X**

_Hilda stepped out of the Pokémon Center that night with confidence. She'd be challenging the Nimbasa City Gym Leader, Elesa, for her fourth badge. As soon as she turned around the corner, she saw a pair of Team Plasma members harassing an old man and a little kid._

"_Hand over your Pokémon!" One of the grunts shouted._

"_No! It's mine!" The boy cried._

"_Typical. You think that just because you put a Pokémon inside of a ball that it belongs to you. Well, it's not. So give it to __**us**__!" The other grunt grabbed hold of the boy's Poké Ball and pushed him down while prying the ball out of his fingers. The child cried._

"_Please, give my grandson back his Pokémon! He just got it the other day!" The old man pleaded. "I'll give you all of mine, but just don't take his!"_

_One of the grunts smirked. "Really? In that case, we'll take __**those**__, too!"_

"_These creeps again…? I must have bad luck to run into Team Plasma for three cities straight…" Hilda reached for a Poké Ball and threw it out, releasing Verde, still a Snivy at the time. The little grass snake Pokémon frowned as it recognized the people who once tried to take him away from his trainer. "Verde, use Vine Whip!"_

"_Snivy!" Verde's vines shot out of his collar and grabbed the kid's Poké Ball out of the grunt's hand before retracting. Verde caught the ball, holding it up over his head with a smirk. "Sni."_

"_Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?"_

"_Stopping you creeps! Stealing from kids and old people! Really! You guys don't have any morals!" Hilda shouted. "And don't go telling me that you're doing a good thing! I've heard it a million times from the other creeps that I fought!"_

_One of the grunts started to fume and pulled out a Poké Ball. "I won't tolerate a kid badmouthing Team Plasma! Go, Watchog!" He threw out the ball and released a Watchog, which was glaring at her Snivy malevolently. "Use Crunch!"_

_The Watchog ran forward, opening its jaws to bite down on Verde. "Leaf Blade!" The pronged leaf on the tip of his tail glowed before Verde flipped forward and slammed it on the taller Pokémon's face with enough force to knock it out in one blow. "Wanna go for another round?" Hilda asked, folding her arms across her chest while Verde smirked and the grunt returned his Watchog._

_He turned to his fellow grunt. "Gimme your Pokémon!"_

"_What? I'm not going to do that! Besides, mine is the same as yours!"_

"_Then we have only one option left…RUN!" The two grunts ran off in a hurry, running into the amusement park. _

_Hilda and Verde ran after them, the Pokémon tossing the Poké Ball in his hands aside. After running to the middle of the park, they couldn't find any sight of them. "Dang it! They got away." She suddenly felt someone grab hold of her arm and pull her over in one direction. She looked up and saw a familiar face. "N?"_

"_If you're looking for Team Plasma, I saw them come this way," the green-haired young man said as he continued to pull Hilda towards the Ferris wheel with Verde following behind her. Once they stopped, she managed to pull her arm out of his grip. "Oh. It doesn't seem like they're here…"_

"_Whatever… I'm used to those guys disappearing into thin air like that."_

_N seemed to ignore her and pointed at the Ferris wheel. "We may be able to spot them from up on the Ferris wheel."_

_The brunette gave a mute nod. After all, they were wearing those ridiculous getups. They should be easy to spot. Within a few minutes, Hilda, Verde, and N were sitting in a car of the Ferris wheel together. N said some nonsense about formulas and Ferris Wheels while Hilda and Verde looked out of the windows of the car. They forgot about Team Plasma for a second when they saw the view of all the lights from the city and the amusement park below, and then…_

"_I should tell you that I am the king of Team Plasma."_

_As soon as he said those words, her mind with uncharacteristically blank. Normally, she would have gone on a tirade at hearing such a statement, but she was in a state of shock. Here she thought she had met such a nice person on her journey, but he was just another creep. When they got off, he asked if she understood him and his goals. Hilda held her Snivy in her arms, her grip the only thing holding back the furious Grass type._

"_Yeah… I understand… I understand that you're a creep just like the rest of those guys! I understand that you're as two-faced as they are! And I hope __**you**__ understand how much I __**hate**__—no, __**despise **__you for making me think we were friends, and I hope I never have to see any of your rotten faces again!" She shouted loudly before running past N and disappearing into the crowd._

_A short while later, she found herself doubled over in front of a building. She didn't notice she was crying until she noticed her tears dropping onto Verde's head, slightly annoying him. "You just can't trust strangers, huh…?"_

"_Hey. You okay?" The brunette stood up straight and turned around to see Nimbasa City's Elesa, standing with her hand on her hip. She looked up and saw that in her anger, she had stopped right in front of the Nimbasa City Gym._

"_Uhh… Yeah. I just lost all my money playing a game. …Aren't you the Gym Leader of the Nimbasa Gym?" When she nodded, Hilda smirked, forcing the bad event that occurred minutes ago to the back of her mind. "I'm Hilda, and I wanna challenge you!"_

**X-X-X**

When she snapped out of it, Hilda realized that they were already standing in line for the Ferris wheel. They were about to get on the last car, it seemed.

"It's the last one. Good thing we got here in time," Ash commented.

"Yeah…" Hilda said with a forced smile. She didn't want to go on this thing again after what happened.

"WHAT? Wait a second; _we're_ supposed to go on the Ferris wheel!" A girl was heard shouting from behind them. "I won't have this perfect night end without a ride on the Ferris Wheel!" Ash and Hilda turned around to see a young couple who were probably a few years older than them standing behind them, the girl looking furious and the boy looking embarrassed at his girlfriend's outburst. She grabbed hold of her date's hand and tried to force her way past Ash and Hilda when the dark-haired boy stepped in her way.

"Oh, no! We were in line, so _we_ get to go on the Ferris wheel!"

"Look, I don't think you'd understand, but this is our first official date as boyfriend and girlfriend, and the best way for said date to end is with a ride on the Ferris wheel. So _move over_, buster!"

"If you wanna go on, just wait in line for the next time!"

"Uh…he's got a point there," the young man said, scratching the back of his head.

His girlfriend turned her head to glare at him. "If we wait, that'll just take the magic out of it!" She turned back to Ash, face reddening. "So just let us go on!"

"I said _'No'_!"

"Pika-pi! PI-KA-CHU!" Pikachu threw in his two cents.

"I have no idea what you just said, but I don't like it!" The young woman snapped at the electric mouse.

"C'mon on, baby! You're arguing with a Pokémon now…!" Her boyfriend _tried_ to calm her down and _tried_ to pull her back, but she kept getting up in Ash's face.

"You better let us into the car or you'll be sorry!"

"How many times do I have to tell you _'No'_?"

"Fine!" She reached into her purse and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Let's have a double battle! Two-on-two! The winners get to go on the Ferris Wheel!"

Ash opened his mouth, ready to accept when Hilda placed her hand over his mouth. "You know what? I'm not in the mood for a two-on-two battle tonight. Let's go find somewhere else to relax, Ash!" She spoke quickly as she dragged the dark-haired trainer away from the Ferris wheel with her hand still over his mouth.

**X-X-X**

"Having a Pokémon battle over the last seat on the Ferris Wheel. Really. That's kinda childish…" Hilda mumbled after she and Ash sat on a bench at the waterfront, the lights of the amusement park reflected in the water.

Ash inwardly cringed and looked down at the water. She'd pretty much just called him a child. He remembered being told once that you shouldn't have Pokémon battles to settle arguments. Unfortunately, he seemed to forget that tonight in his attempt to make sure everything went as smoothly as Iris and Cilan said it should be. And in that attempt, he came off looking like a kid to Hilda.

"So, have you never been on a Ferris Wheel before?" The girl asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Huh?" Ash raised his head and looked at her. "Oh. Uh…no. I already went on it with my friends on our first night in Nimbasa."

"Sooo _why _were you willing to fight tooth and nail to get on it and not just wait for the next go-around?"

The boy felt his cheeks heat up. "I…uh…wanted to set the mood?" He answered with a hint of uncertainty.

The girl arched an eyebrow. "Set the mood?" She suddenly started to blush and stuttered, "S-set the mood? What for?"

"Uh… B-because…I wanted to ask you something." At those words, Pikachu seemed to have the sense to jump off Ash's shoulder and go check out his reflection in the water.

"Uh-huh…?"

"Do you…remember what Cilan said this morning? About how when you're around your first love, your heart races and you can't stop thinking about them when you aren't with them…and how when you touch them, you touch them, you feel a kind of sensation?"

"Yeah…"

"When we were holding hands tonight, did you…feel anything?" Who cares if he didn't do this exactly the way Cilan and Iris told him he should? At least he got it out…kind of.

Hilda gulped and her blush got darker. "Like…electricity?"

Ash nodded. "Like getting hit by one of Pikachu's Thunderbolts."

"Like getting shocked by a Blitzle on a rainy day…" She scooted over a bit closer to him, forgetting what she promised herself and what her mother told her. There'll be other loves, but your first love's always the most memorable, right? "I wonder… What does that sensation feel like when two people…kiss?"

"It must…really be something," he said, chuckling as he inched closer to her as well. They locked hands and he could feel that wonderful warm sensation like electricity coursing through him. After a few seconds of staring at each other hard in the eye, Ash threw caution to the wind and leaned in for the kiss.

When their lips collided, they felt something course through their bodies with greater power than mere hand-to-hand contact. It felt like being shocked by Zapdos, Raikou and Thundurus _combined_ without the pain. In the movies, they said that you see fireworks when you kiss. For _them_, they saw blue lightning and heard a beastly roar to boot. And it all only lasted for a few seconds.

Once they separated, Ash had a slightly dazed look and a stupid smile on his face. Hilda lightly touched her lips, in complete awe. Then a sly smile appeared on her face and she pretty much pushed Ash down onto the bench and leaned down over him. "What do you say we go for another round? And this time, we do it French?" She quoted from one of the movies they saw the other night. At his confused expression, Hilda laughed, making Ash smile before she leaned down for the next kiss.

Pikachu stared at them in confusion before turning around to stare at the lights' reflected in the water. Just chalk it up to another example of odd human behavior…

**X-X-X**

The next day, the bridge leading out of the Nimbasa City and towards Driftveil City had finally been repaired. Dozens of people, plenty of which were trainers aiming for the Pokémon League, were already on their way out of the Nimbasa. Amongst those people were Ash, Iris and Cilan, the first of the trio smiling and humming happily to himself. Iris, on the other hand, looked peeved.

"Why won't you tell us what happened last night? After all the help we gave you?" Iris exclaimed, folding her arms across her chest.

"What happened that night is between me and Hilda," Ash said, still smiling.

Pikachu and Axew were sitting on top of their trainers' heads, the electric mouse explaining to the Tusk Pokémon what had happened the night before with numerous gestures, ending by falling flat on his stomach and kissing Ash's hat, pretending like he was Hilda on top of Ash.

"We don't necessarily need to know _what_ happened exactly last night. Just by seeing Ash act like this, you can pretty much tell that things went his way. Am I right?" Cilan asked with a smile.

"Well..."

"Hey, Ash!" The group stopped walking when they saw Hilda running towards them. "Just wanted to wish you luck at Driftveil City."

"Thanks. You, too! After we both get the next badge, we'll definitely have another battle!"

"You're on!" The two of them smiled at each other until Hilda suddenly pecked him on the lips. "You _might_ get more if we happen to meet in Driftveil City…" She said with a sly smile before turning around and running off, inwardly laughing at how Iris started to loudly tease Ash for what happened. Even if he wasn't going to be in Unova forever, Hilda would make the most out of her _'first love'_.

…But, if she happened to learn how much a trip from Unova to Kanto cost, then _maybe_…

**X-X-X**

**And that's it! It's over! Fin! Done! My first Othello Shipping fic! I just hope that this ending…hell, that this entire story was up to the standards of the people who read and reviewed it. And if it wasn't, I hope you try your own Othello fic to show me it's done (seriously, show me how it's done. T_T), or at least to populate the Pokémon category with fics about yet another crack pairing. All I know is that if I ever attempt to do another Othello fic, it might involve one-sided Ferriswheel Shipping with Creeper!N. Anyway, this is Blu Rose, signing off!**


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